World

Snow days, virtual opera: The office holiday party goes on

NEW YORK - An online murder mystery. Law-themed opera arias. A snowman-building competition. With dancing, drinking and fancy dinners a no-go because of virus concerns, companies are getting creative ...

Dec 17, 2020

Biden picks regulator Michael Regan for EPA administrator

President-elect Joe Biden has picked an experienced but not widely known state regulator, Michael S. Regan of North Carolina, to lead the Environmental Protection Agency. Regan, who is head of North C...

Dec 17, 2020

UK extends salary support program to contain unemployment

LONDON - The British government on Thursday extended its salary support program by another month through to the end of April as it tries to keep a lid on unemployment as coronavirus restrictions slam ...

Dec 17, 2020

Family behind OxyContin attests to its role in opioid crisis

Two of the owners of the company that makes OxyContin acknowledged to a congressional committee on Thursday that the powerful prescription painkiller has played a role in the national opioid crisis bu...

Dec 17, 2020

US jobless claims rise to 885,000 amid resurgence of virus

WASHINGTON - The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits rose again last week to 885,000, the highest weekly total since September, as a resurgence of coronavirus cases threatens the ec...

Dec 17, 2020

Forceful lyrics on domestic violence strike chord in China

TAIPEI, Taiwan - Quarrel, rape, adultery. Tricky, greedy, sycophantic. Chinese singer Tan Weiwei chants each word methodically in a two-line string of vulgarities and insults. The 16 words in her new ...

Dec 17, 2020

Sales top 3 million for Barack Obama's "A Promised Land'

NEW YORK - Just a month after publication, Barack Obama's "A Promised Land" is well on its way to becoming the bestselling presidential memoir in modern times. Crown announced Wednesday that sales hav...

Dec 17, 2020

Reputed mobster admits assaulting 'Real Housewives' hubby

NEWARK, N.J. - A reputed mobster admitted assaulting the then-boyfriend and now husband of a former "Real Housewives of New Jersey" cast member in exchange for a deeply discounted lavish wedding recep...

Dec 17, 2020

US Joint Chiefs chairman meets with Taliban on peace talks

KABUL - The top U.S. general held unannounced talks with Taliban peace negotiators in the Persian Gulf to urge a reduction in violence across Afghanistan, even as senior American officials in Kabul wa...

Dec 17, 2020

French President Macron tests positive for COVID-19

PARIS - French President Emmanuel Macron has tested positive for COVID-19, the presidential Elysee Palace announced on Thursday. It said the president took a test "as soon as the first symptoms appear...

Dec 17, 2020